The Producers at The Bristol Hippodrome Review
The stage adaptation of The Producers, continues in the vein of Mel Brook’s 1968 film of the same name. It’s a fantastic romp that pokes fun out of everyone with a friendly slap and tickle.
But the subject matter is not for the faint hearted.
Cory English plays a very Danny DeVito-esque Max Bialystock,a failing Broadway producer. He manipulates a young accountant with pipe dreams of becoming a producer to come up with a scam that will make them a million dollars each.
All they have to do is get investors to pay out for what will be the worst play ever written, staged by the worst director and performed by the worst actors.
Unfortunately, the formula for Springtime for Hitler is a winning success.
There can be no better poke in the eye for the genocidal maniac than the gayest production of Hitler’s life imaginable.
With its sparkling swastikas and leather clad SS officers and Louie Spence, it is the ultimate musical theatre version of pantomime.
The developing relationship between has-been producer Max Bialystock and accountant turned producer Leo Bloom is more key to the show than the love story between Ulla and Leo.
Jason Manford is brilliant as Leo. He’s cutely vulnerable with his blue blanket and naïve innocence.
He’s a good fit with Tiffany Graves as sexy Swedish love interest Ulla, who manages to keep the blonde bombshell a strong character and in control of her situation.
Favourite of the night has to be David Bedella as the gloriously camp Roger De Bris. He plays the ‘worst director’ whose wonderfully Make it Gay team of creatives turn Springtime for Hitler into a raging success.
It’s not the first time Bedella has performed in something rather risqué. For those scratching their heads at his familiarity, he was the original Satan/Warm-Up Man in the fabulous Jerry Springer – the Opera.
Of course, Springtime for Hitler is only made possible due to the creative juices of crazy Nazi Franz Liebkind, whose ‘love letter to Hitler’ was the ‘worst’ play chosen by Max.
In this production we have Buzzcocks stalwart Phill Jupitus, who with his stuffed pigeons provided some great comedy moments.
The Producers is running at The Bristol Hippodrome this week, ending on Saturday 02 May 2015.
It’s definitely on the tick-list of musical theatre must-sees.